MLB Free Agents: Brandon Inge and 10 Players Who Can Still Contribute

Athletics third baseman Brandon Inge showed that a free-agent signing midseason can still be a valuable asset to a team.

Inge was cut by the Tigers on April 26 and signed by the A's three days later. Before landing on the disabled list, Inge hit four homers and drove in 17 runs in 44 at-bats. 

There are still players on the free-agent market who can produce at the major league level. Some of the players on this list were recently signed, such as Inge, but all the players were free agents at some point during the 2012 season. 

Find out which players can still produce for an MLB team in the upcoming slideshow. 

Brandon Inge

Brandon Inge burnt his former team of 12 years, the Detroit Tigers, in a series earlier this year. 

Inge hit a grand slam and a three-run homer against the Tigers. 

Although Inge is currently on the disabled list, he is on track to come off the disabled list when eligible Monday. 

Inge provided a monumental spark for a team searching for offense. Inge had 17 RBIs in 11 games with the Athletics, and the team went 7-4 during that stretch. 

Roy Oswalt

Probably the biggest surprise up to this point in the season is that Roy Oswalt remains a free agent. 

Oswalt could be a No. 2 or No. 3 starter on many major league teams, so it's shocking that he hasn't been picked up yet. 

At 34 years old, Oswalt still has something left in the tank. In 2010 he had a 2.76 ERA, and in 2011 it was 3.69.

With Neftali Feliz currently on the disabled list, the Texas Rangers might be interested in Oswalt, ESPNDallas.com reports.

Vladimir Guerrero

Finally Vladimir Guerrero was signed. 

On May 10, the Toronto Blue Jays signed the free-swinging slugger to a minor league deal. 

Guerrero isn't quite ready to handle major league pitching, but after working in the minors, Guerrero should be ready in a few weeks. 

Let's face it: Guerrero doesn't want to spend a lot of time in the minors, and his quest for 500 career homers is one of the reasons he is still playing. 

In the American League, Guerrero can play designated hitter and prolong his career long enough to hit the 51 more home runs. 

Derrek Lee

There's not a whole lot of interest in first baseman Derrek Lee, and that's a bit concerning. 

Lee provides superb defense at first; he's a three-time Gold Glove Award winner (2003, 2005, 2007). 

Lee can also still swing the bat. In 28 games with the Pirates last year, Lee hit .337 with seven homers. He has 19 homers in each of the last two seasons. 

While the twilight of Lee's career is imminent, he still has a couple good seasons left in him.   

Hideki Matsui

Currently, outfielder Hideki Matsui is playing in the minor league system of the Tampa Bay Rays. Matsui signed the minor league contract April 30 but has only been playing in the minors for the last week to 10 days. 

Matsui hit .266 with 61 homers in his last three seasons, despite playing for different teams in each of the three seasons. 

Right now Matsui is an average major league player, but he could provide depth later on in the year for the Rays. 

J.D. Drew

Outside of the disastrous 2011 season with the Boston Red Sox, outfielder J.D. Drew has been a good major league player. 

From 2008 to 2010 Drew showcased his power, with a .270 batting average and 65 homers. Drew is 36 years old; many players continue playing well beyond that age. 

Drew still has something left in the tank, but the 2011 season is currently scaring teams away from him. 

Rich Harden

Pitcher Rich Harden is out for the entire 2012 season and is currently a free agent. 

Obviously he cannot contribute in 2012, but he should still have mileage left in the tank considering he is just 30 years old. 

Harden in his career has a record of 59-38 with a 3.76 ERA. The concern with Harden is his health. In only one season has Harden ever made more than 30 starts. 

Magglio Ordonez

Before the season began, outfielder Magglio Ordonez tweeted that he was close to retirement. However, Ordonez is not officially retired and is currently a free agent. 

From 1999 to 2010, Ordonez hit at least .290 every year. Last season, Ordonez slumped and hit .255 with little power. 

With the season one-third of the way done, Ordonez wouldn't have to remain healthy very long, and he is a frequent designated hitter. 

Ordonez is 38 years old now, but I think he has a good season or two left in him. 

Scott Kazmir

The demise of Scott Kazmir is stunning. In 2007 Kazmir led the AL in strikeouts with 239. Since that time Kazmir has not been the same pitcher. 

Kazmir was never overworked; his career high for innings pitched is 206.2, and many pitchers throw more than that on a yearly basis. 

Kazmir is only 28 years old, but he lasted only one start in the 2011 season and hasn't pitched since. Kazmir's biggest struggle has been his command, but if he spent time in the minors to correct that, he could be a solid major league player again. 

Mike Gonzalez

Currently Mike Gonzalez is in the Washington Nationals' minor league system. Gonzalez finally ended his free agency two weeks ago when he signed the deal with the Nationals. 

With Washington's deep pitching staff, Gonzalez may have trouble advancing to the major league club. But he is a proven closer at the MLB level. 

Gonzalez's career ERA is less than three, and at 34 years old, he still has a few more good seasons in the majors left in him. 

Damaso Marte

Damaso Marte, formerly with the New York Yankees, is a free-agent reliever. Marte missed the entire 2011 season with a shoulder injury. 

The main reason why Marte is still a free agent is his health, but Marte has had a solid career up to this point. 

Marte is a left-handed reliever who could help a team needing an arm in the bullpen.